2023 Lexus RZ Recalls & Complaints

Incident: July 14, 2026 · Filed: September 18, 2026

On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, my car experienced a sudden, catastrophic failure of braking system while in motion, at my home. I brought the vehicle into Lexus of Concord on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, . The power assist failed completely with zero advance warning, dropping the vehicle instantly into manual, unassisted braking and lighting up the dashboard with multiple system failures. Quite luckily, no bodily injury or additional vehicular damage resulted from this failure.The Diagnostic Trouble Codes the vehicle’s computer system logged were C13D900, on July 14, the brake booster code.The service report stated that the master cylinder which pumps the brake fluid to the wheels was leaking internally, causing the brake booster to fail. I was told replacing the brake booster and master cylinder assembly will correct the issue Part Number 47050-46040). According to the service technician, the diagnostic data did not indicate an internal electronic actuator failure or an internal fluid/pressure loss at that time.The trouble codes found C13D900 and B227862. The dealership did not open an official technical case with the Lexus Technical Assistance System (TAS) or a Field Product Engineer. The car was "repaired" but less than 1 week later, the brakes failed again in exactly the same manner as the first time. This time, either Lexus TAS or a Field Product Engineer were called to assist; they found that the electronic actuator needed to be replaced. The car was again "repaired" but I have not driven it out of fear of another catastrophic brake failure.

Incident: February 20, 2026 · Filed: March 24, 2026

My vehicle, a 2023 Lexus RZ 450e, has been out of service for over 30 days due to an unresolved HVAC system failure affecting cabin heating. The issue significantly impacts the safe operation of the vehicle, particularly in cold weather conditions where adequate heat is necessary for driver visibility and occupant safety. Despite the vehicle remaining under the manufacturer’s warranty, the dealership has been unable to provide a diagnosis completion or estimated time of repair. The vehicle was brought in for service on February 20, 2026, and has remained at the dealership since that time. During this period, no clear resolution timeline has been provided, and communication from both the dealership and manufacturer has been limited to general status updates with no substantive progress. The lack of heating functionality raises safety concerns, especially given the vehicle’s reliance on electronic systems for climate control. A loaner vehicle has been provided; however, the extended delay without repair or replacement raises concerns about potential defects in the HVAC or related electrical systems. The inability to resolve the issue within a reasonable timeframe suggests a possible systemic defect that is affecting other vehicles of the same make and model. This complaint is being submitted to document the prolonged repair delay, lack of resolution, and safety implications associated with the loss of heating functionality in the vehicle.

Incident: January 9, 2026 · Filed: January 16, 2026

While driving slowly in a parking lot and without striking any object, my 2023 Lexus RZ 450e experienced a catastrophic front right suspension failure. The suspension failure caused separation of the CV axle, detachment of the front right wheel assembly, and an immediate loss of steering control. The vehicle became inoperable and required towing. Fortunately, this occurred at low speed and no injuries occurred. The vehicle became inoperable and required towing. No injuries occurred due to the low speed at the time.

Incident: October 14, 2025 · Filed: October 29, 2025

I was driving at 45 mph during a sunny day with normal traffic flow. The right rear tire had suddenly exploded. It almost caused a major accident. Upon inspection, the tire was totally blew out. Only the rim was left. The tire expert at Northside Lexus dealer in Houston said he had seen hundreds of blow out tires on Lexus like that. He didn't want to alert NHTSA. The tires were made by Dunlop in 2023. My car had only 20,000 miles on it. Please consider to recall this kind of Dunlop Sport Maxx tires before another accident or fatality happens. Thanks.

Incident: May 16, 2025 · Filed: May 19, 2025

I have had my 2023 RZ450e for two years and at 53,000 miles, the driver side daytime running light went out. Another owner on a Facebook Lexus RZ450e group reported the same identical thing happening to them in October 2024. With the headlight assembly being LED, these should not fail early on in ownership and should last quite a while. My vehicle has been inspected by Lexus dealership at the service intervals, most recently May 8, 2025 and there was no mention of DRL on driver side being out from the service advisor. No warnings were available. I found out through the reflection of being behind someone when stopped. Having one functional DRL can be a hazard especially in the rain.

Incident: January 8, 2025 · Filed: May 6, 2025

The charger fails to charge. Nothing happens when it is plugged into the vehicle. The dealer has confirmed the vehicle can be fully charged using the dealer’s level 2 charger. I am able to fully charge the vehicle using the level 1 charger supplied with the vehicle. Enel X Way has discontinued support. Even though I still have one year warranty left on the charger the support page indicates support is no longer provided and Enel X is no longer accepting claims.

Incident: November 14, 2024 · Filed: December 9, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Lexus RZ 450. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in park(P), the vehicle failed to shift out of park after multiple attempts. The vehicle eventually shifted into drive(D) and as the contact began to drive the vehicle, the vehicle began to hesitate as the brake warning light appeared on the instrument panel. Once the contact reached her destination and parked the vehicle, she attempted to straighten out her vehicle as the tail end was sticking out in the road. While straightening the vehicle, the brake warning message returned on the instrument panel as the vehicle then surged forward at a high rate of speed. The vehicle ran over four garbage bins before crashing into a parked vehicle. The air bags deployed upon impact. The contact attempted to exit the vehicle after the crash but all the doors failed to unlock from the inside. The contact screamed for help as neighbors heard the commotion outside and assisted the contact out of the vehicle. Police were called but no assistance arrived. The contact did not sustain any physical injuries and did not seek medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained in their possession. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the matter and stated that they would review the vehicle's black box. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,400.

Incident: October 14, 2024 · Filed: October 23, 2024

We are the owners of a 2023 Lexus RZ450e Luxury, a fully electric vehicle. My wife and I rely on the Lexus app (on our Android devices) to monitor essential details such as remaining miles, charging percentage, and the overall status of the vehicle. These features are vital to ensure we have sufficient charge before driving. However, as of Monday, October 14th, the app has stopped displaying this crucial information. Instead, it shows “-1 mi. est” and “-1 %,” (minus one percent!) and the status bar has disappeared entirely. Please refer to the attached screenshot for reference. This exact issue occurred previously in July 2024, and Lexus opened file number 240710002913 to address it. While it was resolved at that time, the problem has resurfaced, leaving us once again unable to monitor the vehicle's charge remotely. This ongoing issue is frustrating and inconvenient, especially given the safety implications of not being able to reliably monitor the vehicle’s charge. We expect better from a $70,000 luxury vehicle, and it is unacceptable that such a problem has recurred. It raises serious concerns about the testing and quality assurance of the mobile app updates. Resolution Request: We find it unsafe to operate the vehicle without reliable access to charge status information via the app. Given that this issue has recurred, we kindly request a resolution. Ideally, we would prefer the vehicle to be replaced, as this persistent issue has significantly impacted our ownership experience. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to your response.

Incident: June 23, 2024 · Filed: June 26, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Lexus RZ 450E. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud popping sound and stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

Incident: November 19, 2023 · Filed: December 13, 2023

When the passenger side radiant heat is on, it makes a toxic smell that smells like plastic or glue melting. It has happened in our RZ and also in a loaner RZ (VIN [XXX] ). Lexus has done nothing that we are aware of to ensure that this smell is not affecting passenger side airbags or the integrity of the cars. They’re also hiding in their notes that they have experienced the smell. I took the Service Manager Jon Howell on a drive in both cars and he smelled the melting smell and agreed he understood why I was describing it as melted hot glue or plastic. However, those drives are not documented in the service notes. I am concerned this is a flaw in the car for which the impact of safety is unknown. Further testing must be done to ensure these cars are safe after the radiant heat is used and the smell has occurred. The smell is constant any and all times the radiant heat is engaged. We have experienced the smell at least ten times in our car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)